Stranraer Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland Castle of St John Stranraer is the largest settlement in south west Scotland. It lies at the head of Loch Ryan, on the north side of the neck of land that prevents the Rhins of Galloway becoming an island. The town's origins date back nearly 500 years to the building in 1511 of Stranraer Castle, also known as the Castle of St John. This now stands in the centre of the town, but it was originally built behind the broad beach at the head of Loch Ryan. Only later did a settlement begin to grow around it. The Castle of St John now houses a museum, while the excellent Stranraer Museum can be found in the old town hall. By 1600 it had become the market town for the Rhins of Galloway to the west and the rural areas to the east. In the 1760s Stranraer was reached by a military road built from Bridge of Sark on the English border via Dumfries to Portpatrick. This in turn led to Stranraer featuring on the drove route used by Irish cattle being moved to market in Dumfries.

It was only in the mid 1700s that a harbour was first built in Stranraer itself, and further port development took place in the 1820s. But it was the coming of the railway from Dumfries in 1861 which finally established Stranraer as the area's main port. In 1862 the line was extended to serve the harbour directly, and in the same year a link to Portpatrick was also opened. Some time later a rail connection north to Girvan was established. For much of the following 150 years Stranraer was unchallenged as the natural location for the main Scottish port for the Irish ferries. Roll-on roll-off ferries appeared on the Irish routes well ahead of elsewhere in the UK. This played a part in the loss of 133 lives on 31 January 1953 when the MV Princess Victoria's car deck was swamped by heavy seas en route from Stranraer, and the ship sank off Northern Ireland.

In the 1970s P&O moved their services from Stranraer to a new terminal built nearer the mouth of Loch Ryan at Cairnryan and in 2000 the SeaCat fast catamaran service from Belfast was switched from Stranraer to Troon. In late 2011 Stena also moved their Stranraer operations to Cairnryan. But despite these setbacks, Stranraer has rather more going for it than usually gets mentioned in the guide books. The town centre is surprisingly attractive and bustling, and while it helps to see it on a sunny day, the whites and bright colours of many of the buildings make it brighter in any light. Stranraer also serves as the gateway to the Rhins of Galloway. Roads from here head north to Leswalt and south past Drummore to the Mull of Galloway, Scotland's most southerly point. And west lies Portpatrick, now a beautiful resort complete with harbour. Another link with Portpatrick is provided by the Southern Upland Way long distant footpath, which begins there and passes just to the south of Stranraer itself en route to the North Sea.

Stranraer | Article about Stranraer by The Free Dictionary Stranraer | Article about Stranraer by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Wikipedia . Stranraer (strənrär`, străn–), town (1991 pop. 10,766), Dumfries and Galloway, SW Scotland, at the head of Loch Ryan. A fishing port, it has a prosperous trade with Northern Ireland. Food processing is an industry. Viscount Dundee occupied the 15th-century castle while suppressing Covenanters in Galloway in 1682. Northwest Castle was the home of the explorer John Ross Ross, Sir John, 1777–1856, British arctic explorer and rear admiral. In 1818 he went in search of the Northwest Passage but turned back after exploring Baffin Bay. ..... Click the link for more information. . Stranraer a market town in SW Scotland, in W Dumfries and Galloway: fishing port with a ferry service to Northern Ireland.

Pop.: 10 851 (2001) Stranraer Marina and Loch Ryan [Expanded View] - West Scotland and North of Ireland: pilotage, charts, photos and marine business listings Berthing, Mooring & Anchoring The arrangements for entering the new Marina are best seen on the plan, a new breakwater has been constructed and access to the pontoons is via a short channel. The start of the channel is marked by a green conical and a red can buoy, both are lit. After passing between these, the visitors berths will be seen on the very first pontoon you come to. Further red buoyage on your starboard side marks the edge of a drying mud bank. This Marina is owned by the Dumfries and Galloway Council, who also own the West Pier. Contact the Harbourmaster Lesley Smith 07734073421 or assistant Alan McLaughlin 07827277247. The office is near the clock tower.

The charges here are in bands and work out at £15.55 per night for a 10 metre boat, (pontoons can take 12m boats) with the possibility of accommodating yachts up to 28 m long with prior notice. Charges include VAT, showers & water. A total of seven berths are reserved for visitors only, with a further 50 Odd for residents. Shelter in this spot may not be perfect in NW Gales, but we have heard plenty of good reports about this new facility. There are plenty of anchoring opportunities around the loch, but many may be subject to wash from passing ferries. There are also various no anchoring areas, best seen on the chart. A popular anchorage will be found in an area called The Wig, lying in a bit of a bight formed by the drying Scar, and shallows of The Spit. As has been said by "Fearless Friend" in the local advice below it would be daft not to put down a tripping line with your gear in this area.

Lady Bay on the NW side of the Loch has been found to be a viable (if noisy with passing ferries at night) anchorage and if time is of the essence it's useful as it's a further six miles down to the Marina from there This area is sheltered from the North West and West, and shallows mentioned above provide some kind of shelter when the wind is in the north-east. (Tuck in close as possible under Kirkcolm Point) Strong winds with a S or SE component will make things rough here. No water or fuel here, and nearest shops are at Kirkcolm. Loch Ryan Sailing Club has a slipway in front of its' premises on the western shore of The Wig. Visitors are welcome when the club is open, a link to their website is provided below: We are grateful for the help we have received from local sailors (Gordon Baird and Phillip Taylorson) on the new conditions in the Loch Facilities The Marina at Stranraer can provide water and electricity (prepaid cards, so check the bollard to see if there is any left over!) on all the pontoons and it has a brand new amenities block with showers (free), toilets and coin op laundrette facilities.

Fuel (in jerry cans) and Calor gas are available at the local garage (they don't do Camping Gaz but. if you talk to the HM. he knows of a place where that can be arranged) There is now a slip for launching trailer sailors and they hope to have some form of lifting facilities in the near future. The town itself can provide shops, post office and banks, with a Tesco Metro and Morrisons within easy walking reach of the Marina. Car hire is available close by for those who wish to abandon their boats and do a bit of exploring. Transport connections for crew changes are very good. Stranraer railway station is the southern terminus for one of the branch lines of the Glasgow South Western Line. Trains are provided by First ScotRail daily to Ayr, Glasgow, and Newcastle. The main national coach providers operate services from Stranraer. National Express offer a service to London. Trailer Sailers will find a decent concrete slipway (originally used for seaplanes), in front of the Loch Ryan sailing club, at The Wig. Care is required with launch and recovery because of the wash from fast ferries. Do you run a marine related business around this harbour ?

If you're not already in our directory why not put yourself in ? If you are in, why not say something more about yourself ? The link below provides full info....It's FREE and you can do it yourself NOW. History Loch Ryan is a Scottish sea loch that acts as an important natural harbour for shipping, providing calm waters for ferries operating between Scotland and Northern Ireland. The town of Stranraer is the largest settlement on its shores, with boats operating both from the town and from the village of Cairnryan further north on the loch. Historically the loch has seen human activity on its shores since ancient times. Sheltered from the rough seas of the North Channel and the North Atlantic the loch has been an important safe harbour for vessels. In the spring of 1307 at the beginning of Robert the Bruce's campaign in the wars of independence he sent two forces to attempt to gain control of south west Scotland. One force, led by his two brothers and comprising of eighteen galleys, landed in Loch Ryan. They were immediately overwhelmed by local forces, led by Dougal MacDougal, who was a supporter of the Comyns. The loch would have been used historically for traditional maritime activities including fishing.

The Statistical account of Scotland 1791-99, records: "This bank abounds with oysters of a most excellent flavour. They are found indeed all around the shores and might be got in great quantities would people drag for them ....... A variety of fish, as skate, flounders, small cod, haddocks, whiting, lobsters, crabs and sometimes turbot are caught within the loch" The later Account of 1834-45 expands on this issue, as it states: "Loch Ryan at one time was famous for its herring fishery. I have heard old people say that they have known 300 sail boats in the bay at one time which had come from the highlands and other places, in order to fish or purchase herrings. For many years past the shoals of herrings may be said to have deserted the loch." A lighthouse was built at Cairn point in 1847 at the northern end of the village of Cairnryan. In 1849 the principle link to Northern Ireland was moved from Portpatrick to Stranraer in Loch Ryan.

The reasons for this move were the increasing tonnages of the vessels operating the route which were more susceptible to harsh storms when moored at the exposed Portpatrick harbour on the Rhins coast. The calmer safer waters of the loch allowed larger ships to ply the route as demand increased. During the second world war the loch was busy with wartime activity. Cairnryan became No. 2 Military port, an important secondary large-scale port facility that was available for use should facilities on the Mersey and the Clyde became unavailable due to enemy bombing. Two large piers were built at Cairnryan to enable large tonnage ships to dock and unload cargo. The harbour was used as an import point for troops coming from the USA after 1942. Only one of the two piers still stands today, and it is unusable due to the poor condition of the wooden piles (the pier has been unused since a small section collapsed with tragic consequences in the 1990’s). With U-Boat menace in the Atlantic taking a heavy toll on merchant shipping the area became an important centre for anti-U-Boat operations.

Flying boats operated from the loch to protect allied shipping making its way to Liverpool or Glasgow either via the North Channel or the Firth of Clyde. There were two RAF stations on the Loch, RAF Wig Bay operating from Wig Bay near Kirkcolm and RAF Stranraer operating from the town. Just north of Cairnryan are what looks like a number of concrete 'boats' resting on the shore - these too are a legacy of the second world war. They are in fact 'Beetles' from the Mulberry harbour project. The beetle pontoons were used to hold up the 'Whale' roadway sections, with four of the whales being built at Cairnryan. With easy access to the North Atlantic, Loch Ryan was used as the surrender destination for the U-Boats who were out in the Atlantic in 1945 when hostilities ceased. The U-boats and their crews were held at Cairnryan, before the boats were finally towed out into the Atlantic and sunk.

Other wartime activity on the loch included construction of target rafts made out of wood and cork, which were built in Stranraer then floated out the Loch and round the Rhins of Galloway to their positions in Luce Bay for bombing practice (operating out of West Freugh). The loch was also used by Winston Churchill when he departed from Stranraer in a Boeing Flying boat on 25 June 1942 when making his second visit of the war to the USA. Today the loch serves as an important location for the ferry link to Northern Ireland, representing the shortest crossing distance between Britain and Ireland. The port activity has increased substantially since the route first started operating out of the Loch in 1849. There are currently a total of 5 ferries, 3 conventional RORO ferries and 2 fast ferries. This is split between two ferry companies, Stena Line and P&O - Irish Sea.

Stena, operating from the east pier in Stranraer, with 1 conventional (Stena Caledonia) and the HSS fast ferry (Stena Voyager), while P&O, operating from Cairnryan run 2 conventionals (European Causeway & European Highlander) and the P&O Express fast ferry. Between 1992 and 1999 Sea Containers Ltd operated the Seacat fast ferry on the Stranraer - Belfast route. They subsequently moved to Troon, before finally ending the service altogether in 2005. While conventional ferries (moving at around 15 knots) have worked the route for many decades the newly introduced fast ferries are capable of much greater speeds (around 40 knots). The wash that these large craft generate has led to speed restrictions being imposed within the majority of the loch, with fast ferries unable to increase their speeds above 12 knots (22 km/h) until they are to the north of Old House point on the northern side of Cairnryan. Further speed restrictions are imposed on the HSS during the Tern breeding season, when wash from the ship can cause problems for the breeding birds on The Scar.

The levels of wash that the fast ferries create has been the subject of some controversy, with many suggesting that the death by drowning of a man and his two sons in the loch in July 2003 was due to their boat being overwhelmed by a large wave created by a nearby passing ferry. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the incident suggested however that the condition of the boat, the lack of safety equipment onboard and a poor look out were more likely to have been contributing factors, but did emphasise that speed limits should be adhered to and that small boat owners should be made aware of the dangers of ferry-induced washes. There has also recently been criticism of the erosion that the wash from the boats are creating in and around Kirkcolm bay on the loch's western shores. The questions of speed and the environmental impact that it has have to be balanced with the efficiency and speed of operation, with the Loch Ryan - Northern Ireland route under pressure from other competing routes and methods of transport, not least the Holyhead - Dublin ferry link and low cost airlines.

It is this pressure on efficiency and crossing time that has led to the decision of Stena proposals to move in a few years its operations from Stranraer further north to Cairnryan to share facilities with P&O. This will allow them to cut out the slowest part of the journey, enabling the HSS to reduce its overall roundtrip time by around 30 minutes. This proposal, coming as it does with a significant redevelopment and investment in new port facilities at Cairnryan, will give good security to the future of the North Channel route. It will also lead to future potential small craft maritime development at the southern end of the Loch, which will be completely free from large and regular ferry traffic. The Loch already sees small craft usage, with the Loch Ryan Sailing club operating from Wig Bay, and Stranraer Marina in Stranraer harbour beside the West Pier. The text on this HISTORY page is covered by the following licence Eating, Drinking & Entertainment Stranraer is a fair sized town, having a reasonable selection of pubs and restaurants. Suffice to say the crew won't go hungry or thirsty, with all sorts on offer, from fish and chips through to Indian and Chinese.

Naturally there are plenty of pub restaurants too. The links below may give the curious a starting point: Pubs Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland Genealogy - FamilySearch Wiki 6 References History STRANRAER, a royal burgh, a sea-port, and parish, in the county of Wigton, 6¼ miles (N. E. by N.) from Portpatrick, and 50 (S. S. W.) from Ayr. This place, the name of which, of Gaelic origin, is supposed to be derived from its situation on a shore that is dry at low water, is of considerable antiquity, and was formerly the residence of the earls of Stair, whose ancient castle of Stranraer is still remaining. The parish, and the capital of the district of the Rhyns, is beautifully situated at the head of Loch Ryan. The old church, which contained 700 sittings, being condemned in 1833 as unsafe and incapable of repair, a temporary building of wood was erected by the minister for the use of the congregation; and the present church, which is a neat structure, was built in 1841.

There are places of worship for members of the Free Church, United Secession, Reformed Presbyterians, and the Relief; and a Roman Catholic chapel. [1] The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45) offers uniquely rich and detailed parish reports for the whole of Scotland, covering a vast range of topics including history, agriculture, education, trades, religion and social customs. The reports, written by the parish ministers, are available online at . Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for Stranraer. Also available at the Family History Library. Census Records A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. The Scottish government began taking censuses of the population in 1801 but the first one that listed all members of a household was the 1841 census. The census records are not available to the public until one hundred years have passed. Read more about census records . Click here [ low quality link ] to go to Family History Library Catalog entry for the census records of Stranraer.

The Family History Library also has a surname index for the 1841 census of Stranraer as well as a surname index for the 1881 census of the whole of Wigtonshire. The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on . To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1901, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access indexes through the library. Church Records The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about church records. Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish. Established Church—Old Parochial Registers Years Covered 1068042 items 1-3 Condition of Original Registers Index: For an index to these records, see Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may be indexed on the FamilySearch.org. Births: Entries out of chronological order occasionally occur and a number of interpolated entries in the portion after 1846.

Mothers’ names are seldom recorded before 1775. Marriages: Proclamations and marriages are intermixed. There is only one entry after March 1851. A number of marriages of parishioners celebrated in Ireland are recorded. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b . Established Church—Kirk Session Records The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of he minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish: Minutes and Accounts 1695–1816, 1821–1833, 1838–1841, 1846–1872 Scroll Minutes 1806–1850 General and Committee Minutes of the Stranraer and Rhinns of Galloway Auxiliary National Bible Society of Scotland 1819–1850 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, records CH2/938 and 1112. Nonconformist Church Records A nonconformist church is any church that is not the Established church. Read more about nonconformity in Scotland in the article on the Scotland Church Records Union List. Ivy Place Associate Congregation History— About the commencement of the Secession several persons were led to inquire into the secession principles and connected themselves with the Associate congregation of Wigtown. The distance between Stranraer and Wigtown did not admit of their attending ordinances regularly there.

They therefore applied to the Presbytery to be disjoined from Wigtown and formed into a separate congregation with its seat in Stranraer. After long delay the church was granted by the Presbytery. The date of their organization has not been ascertained but they appear to have had elders ordained over them as early as 1754. They purchased a dwelling house and had it fitted up as a place of worship. A new church was built on Hanover Street in 1773, which was enlarged in 1800. This church was rebuilt in 1841. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film # 477618 .

More details may be given in the source Records— Minutes and Accounts 1759–1772, 1774–1798, 1803–1898 Collections and Distributions 1803–1810 Cash Book 1812–1831 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/549. Bridge Street Relief Church, extinct History— The Rev. Dr. Symington was minister in that connection in Stranraer before his translation to Glasgow. While there he excited a strong desire for evangelical preaching among a number of persons in the place. The terms of communion insisted upon by him, were considered to be such that, though they attended his ministry with the highest satisfaction, they could not consistently join with him in church fellowship. This circumstance along with dissatisfaction towards the minister of the Establishment, led them to inquire into the principles of other denominations; and at a public meeting held for the purpose they found they could unite in an application to the Relief Presbytery of Glasgow for supply of sermon which was successfully done in 1818. They built a place of worship in 1821.

After the resignation of Mr. Matthews in 1868, the congregation united with Bellevilla under the name of the West Church. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film # 477618 . More details may be given in the source Records— The extent of records is unknown. West Church Associate Congregation History— The Rev. Mr. Drysdale, second minister of the Secession congregation, Ivy Place, Stranraer, entered keenly into the controversy raised by the Rev. Mr. Smyton of Kilmaurs, respecting the necessity of lifting the bread and cup in the dispensation of the Lord's Supper, before which is usually called, the consecration prayer. He at first supported Mr. Symton in the issue but afterwards deserted him. This vacillation gave great offence to the portion of the congregation that had adopted his previous views. They withdrew from his ministry and connected themselves as a congregation with a Presbytery formed by Mr. Smyton and some other ministers, who had ceased belonging to the General Associate Anti-burgher Synod.

This Presbytery soon broke up as did also the congregation in Stranraer that was connected with them and had all the time of its existence in this relation without a pastor. A few of the members returned to the congregation from which they had separated; a few joined the Cameronians, and the remainder applied for and obtained supply of sermon from the Associate Burgher of Kilmarnock, 1797. A church was built the same year. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film # 477618 . More details may be given in the source. Records— Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/736. Stranraer Free Church History— This congregation was formed at the Disruption, three elders and a large number of members adhering to the Free Church. They met for worship in various places until the church was built in 1844. A school, built in 1850, was transferred to the Stranraer School Board in 1872.

Membership: 1848; 300, 1900; 243. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film # 918572 . More details may be given in the source Records— Extent of records is unknown. Sheuchan Free Church History— Robert Donald, the minister, and the whole congregation of Sheuchan Church extension charge, except one member, came out in 1843. Deprived of the building by legal proceedings at the close of 1844, they worshiped in a neighboring mill until their own church was erected. Membership: 1848, 150; 1800, 321. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film # 918572 .

More details may be given in the source Records— Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/921. Cairnryan Free Church History— The congregation was started here as an extension charge before the Disruption and was worked along with Inch. In 1844 it was sanctioned as a separate charge. The only site obtainable was the garden of some houses leased by a local supporter of the Free Church. There the church was built, and opened in 1845. The manse was erected in 1856. The congregation suffered from rural depopulation. Membership: 1848, 80; 1900, 41. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film # 918572 . More details may be given in the source.) Records— Extent of records is unknown. Stranraer Catholic Church History— The congregation was formed in 1838 but served from Newton Stewart until 1846.

The church was consecrated to St. Joseph in 1846. Records— Register of Baptisms 1846–1908 Register of Marriages 1846–1971 Note: Available online for a fee, at , Edinburgh, record RH21/61. See Penninghame parish for earlier records. Civil Registration Records Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory records) began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Each parish has a registrar's office and large cities have several. The records are created by the registrars and copies are sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Annual indexes are then created for the records for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration for more information and to access the records. Probate Records Stranraer was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Wigtown until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Wigtown. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at .

You must register on the website but use of the index to probate records, called 'Wills & Testaments,' is free. You may then purchase a copy of the document or, if the document is before 1823, it will be on microfilm at the Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Wigtown and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Wigtown. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Wigtown. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Wigtown and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records . References ↑ Lewis, Samuel A., A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (1846), pp. 500-519. Adapted. Date accessed: 07 March 2014. Return to the Wigtownshire parish list.

Stranraer - Encyclopedia Stranraer GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES STRANRAER, a royal and police burgh and seaport of Wigtownshire, Scotland. Pop. (Igor), 6036. It is situated at the head of Loch Ryan, an arm of the North Channel (Irish Sea), 59 m. S.S.W. of Ayr by the Glasgow & South-Western railway, with a station in the town and at the harbour. It lies 39 m. E. by N. of Larne in Co. Antrim, Ireland, with which there is daily communication by mail steamer. Stranraer, originally called St John's Chapel, became a burgh of barony in 1596, and a royal burgh in 1617. In the centre of the town are the ruins of the castle of the 15th century, occupied for a time by John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, when he held the office of sheriff of Galloway (1682).

The principal buildings within the parish are the old town hall, now used as a volunteer drill hall and armoury; the county buildings, containing the town hall and court house; the academy; reformatory and the Wigtownshire combination poorhouse. Dairy utensils and implements are made; there are several nurseries; brewing and milling are carried on, but the bulk of the trade is in farm and dairy produce. Pier and harbour accommodation has been extended and the shipping is brisk. The oyster beds, for which Loch Ryan was once noted, are not cultivated, but the fisheries (white fish and herrings) are still of some consequence. Three miles east of Stranraer is Lochinch, the residence of the earl of Stair, a modern structure in the Scots Baronial style. It stands in grounds 4000 acres in extent, which include the White and Black Lochs and the ruins of Castle Kennedy, finely situated on the isthmus between the lakes. This castle was erected in the reign of James VI. for the earls of Cassilis, and passed into the hands of the Stair family in the 17th century.

It was struck by lightning in 1716 and burned down and never rebuilt. The estate is famous for its plantations and Dutch gardens, the pinetum containing the most representative collection of araucarias, deodars and other conifers in Europe. A mile south are the green mounds marking the site of the abbey of Saulseat, founded for Premonstratensian monks by Fergus, "king" of Galloway, early in the 12th century. It stood on the banks of a small loch and was known as the Monastery of the Green Lake from the mass of confervae with which the water was continually covered. Four miles west by north of Stranraer is situated Lochnaw Castle, the ancient seat of the Agnews, who were hereditary sheriffs of Galloway till 1747, when hereditable jurisdictions were abolished. The five-storied embattled tower in the centre dates from 1426, and the modern mansions from 1820. On the coast, 72 m. south-west of Stranraer by rail, lies Portpatrick, formerly called Port Montgomerie.

Owing to its proximity to Ireland (212 m. to Donaghadee), it was for more than 200 years a starting-point of the mail service between Great Britain and Ireland. In consequence, however, of the frequent violence of the southwesterly gales and other causes, the communication ceased in the middle of the 19th century, and the artificial harbour designed by John Rennie has gradually fallen into decay. The town is in repute as a holiday resort for its healthy climate and beautiful situation. - Please bookmark this page (add it to your favorites). - If you wish to link to this page, you can do so by referring to the URL address below this line. Copyright © 1995-2011 ITA all rights reserved.

Encyclopedia Alphabetically Loch Ryan - Review of Stranraer Harbour, Stranraer, Scotland - TripAdvisor Review of Stranraer Harbour “Loch Ryan” Reviewed June 1, 2016 A beautiful small marina but is being developed to become something spectacular ,the Loch also has plenty of scope to develop to a variety of different water sports , it is very close to town centre where there are numerous café's, pub's and 2 supermarkets. It's Harbour Master Leslie is alway's on hand to help any visitor's berthing for overnight or longer stay's and are made extremely welcome by her and other member's of the marina ,who are more than willing to help visitor's if they require assistance. office open 0800 to 10.30am & 15.00 17.30pm Visited May 2016 Stranraer iCentre | VisitScotland Check Availability Terms & Conditions This booking system and any information appearing on this page relating to the availability of any accommodation is provided by third parties and not by VisitScotland. It is intended to provide real time availability information relating to accommodation which is also provided by third parties.

You may use this booking system to place direct bookings with third party accommodation providers. Any booking you make will not be placed with VisitScotland and we will have no liability to you in respect of any booking. If you proceed to make a booking you will leave our Website and visit a website owned and operated by a third party. VisitScotland does not have any control over the content or availability of any external website. This booking system and any information appearing on this page is provided for your information and convenience only and is not intended to be an endorsement by VisitScotland of the content of such linked websites, the quality of any accommodation listed, or of the services of any third party. Stranaer Dumfries & Galloway Stranraer iCentre is located just down from the town centre, only a few minutes from the harbour front where we offer local information and advice for this hidden gem in the South West of Scotland. Stranraer is situated at the head of Loch Ryan on the southern tip of Scotland. We have many things to do in our area including fishing and walking. We hold some of the most beautiful gardens in the Dumfries & Galloway area.

We also have great golf courses in the area, one of which, The Creachmore, was the last course to be designed by James Braid. One of our hotels, Knockinaam Lodge, situated near the fishing village of Portpatrick was frequented by none other than Sir Winston Churchill, where he discussed war policies with other cabinet members. Cairnryan, the next village to Stranraer, has the shortest ferry crossing available to Northern Ireland. We offer a wide range of excellent Scottish products and also a wide selection of books and maps for the area including a wide array of local history books. Our staff's wide range of knowledge can assist any visitor whether you're looking for accommodation, transport or just a question on something within the town. Travelling to Little Laight Cottage Contact Us Where is Little Laight? Little Laight Cottage is just north of the village of Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland, close to region's second largest town Stranraer.

Cairnryan is a ferry port which runs regular passenger services to/from Belfast and Larne in Northern Ireland so if you fancy a day trip you can just hop on the ferry for some shopping and sightseeing in Belfast or, if you're travelling from Northern Ireland, you're just 5 minutes away from your accommodation when you arrive in Scotland. If you're travelling from Scotland, from the north, the cottage is less than 2 hours drive from Glasgow and only 2 hours 50 minutes from Edinburgh. From the south of Scotland, and from the north of England, the cottage is just 1 hour 45 minutes from Dumfries or 2 hours 20 minutes from Carlisle. Getting Here Ferry There are daily ferry services practically to the cottage door from Larne or Belfast in Northern Ireland operated by P&O Ferries and Stena-Line. You'll find timetables and ferry information on the following websites: P&O Ferries (Larne/Cairnryan) Rail If you're travelling by rail you'll find a daily service to/from Glasgow from nearby Stranraer with a connecting bus/coach service to Cairnryan.

Train timetables and rail travel information can be found on the following website: ScotRail (Glasgow/Stranraer) Bus/Coach There is a regular bus service between Cairnryan and Stranraer that connects with both ferry and rail services. There are also regular bus services to/from Glasgow and to/from Dumfries and Carlisle. You'll find bus/coach timetable information on the following website: Dumfries & Galloway Bus Timetables Directions Little Laight is accessible by a private track approximately 1 1/2 miles above the A77, deliberately kept fairly rough to deter unwelcome visitors. Perfectly serviceable in a normal car it is not suitable for sports cars. The gate into Little Laight is to be kept shut with cars inside to protect them from sheep and cattle.

From Glasgow Get on the M8 from Port Dundas Rd and A804 (5 mins) Follow M77 and A77 to Cairnryan (1 hour 45 minutes) From Edinburgh Get on the M8 from W Approach Rd and A71 (25 mins) Follow M8, M77 and A77 to Cairnryan (2 hour 25 minutes) From Carlisle/Dumfries Get on the M6 from A7 (10 mins) From M6 take the A75 toward Stranraer, approx 90 miles (1 hour 45 minutes) Just before Stranraer head north onto A77 and Cairnryan (10 mniutes) Little Laight Cottage United Kingdom About Little Laight Cottage The recently rebuilt Little Laight stands high on a hill above Cairnryan and faces south down Loch Ryan towards Stranraer. Part of the Loch Ryan Estate, and an old shepherd’s cottage before its rebuild, it offers stunning views of Loch Ryan, the Mull of Kintyre, and Ireland.

Surrounded by rolling hillside and adjacent to an SSSI (special site of scientific interest) with only sheep, deer, cattle and a huge variety of birds as neighbours, Little Laight offers the perfect getaway for those wishing solitude, tranquility peace and quiet. Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved. Loch Ryan Cottages · Loch Ryan Farms · Loch Ryan · Cairnryan · Stranraer · Scotland · DG9 8QY · United Kingdom

Question: Stranraer in Scotland stands at the head of which loch?
Answer: Loch Ryan